How to run podcast advertising vendor due diligence

What to take away

Podcast advertising vendor due diligence is the evidence-gathering step between shortlisting a supplier and signing an insertion order.

For separate background on choosing podcast advertising tools and suppliers, see the podcast advertising tools and supplier guide.

Company and contract checks

Confirm who you are actually paying

Pull the vendor's entry from Companies House and match the registered number to the name on the contract and the invoice. Check filing history for late accounts or a recent change of directors. Review its confirmation statement, accounts and Persons with Significant Control (PSC) register, and reconcile the ownership information with the vendor's explanation. Where a trading name differs from the registered company, ask for written confirmation of the relationship.

Ask who owns the inventory being sold. A reseller may have no direct relationship with the podcast, which affects both price and remedy if a slot underdelivers.

Set out termination, make-good and reporting obligations in the contract. A vendor that resists a written make-good clause is telling you something.

Check the commercial terms against your benchmark

Compare the quoted cost per thousand impressions with your own benchmark from previous campaigns. Ask whether the rate includes production, hosting and platform fees.

Request a sample campaign report before signing. Ask which measurement methodology the vendor uses and whether it follows the IAB Podcast Measurement Guidelines. Clarify how it defines a download or impression and treats duplicate or invalid traffic. You need to know what data arrives, how often and in what format. If reporting is manual, price the internal time needed to reconcile it.

Listener data and platform checks

Map the data flow

The UK's data protection framework includes the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's data protection regulator. Ask the vendor which lawful basis it relies on under the UK GDPR for audience targeting and measurement data, and where that data is stored. Where the campaign involves tracking technologies or electronic marketing, ask how the vendor assesses any obligations under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR).

Check the controller/processor distinction for each data activity and whether a data processing agreement is in place where the vendor processes data on your behalf. Ask the agreement to set out the parties' roles and responsibilities, including the vendor's instructions, security measures, use of subprocessors and return or deletion of data. Request the retention period for listener-level data in writing.

If the vendor cannot name the lawful basis, escalate before signing.

Track platform changes that affect delivery

Ad delivery and listener experience shift with the apps people use. Apple's notes on iOS 26 for Apple Podcasts list changes to the listening experience that can affect how and when ads are served. Ask your vendor how it tests for platform updates and who is responsible when a format stops working.

Check whether the vendor supports the formats you plan to buy. To see what buyers shortlist in this market, read podcast advertising best tools in England.

Ad content, rights and sign-off

Clear music, clips and voice assets

The Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 is central to UK copyright in music and clips used in podcast ads. Confirm that every asset in a spot is licensed, original or cleared, and that the licence covers podcast distribution and repurposing on social channels. Ask the vendor to identify which rights it has cleared and whether permissions from rights holders or licensing bodies such as PRS for Music, PPL or MCPS are needed; clearance for one right does not necessarily clear every right in a recording or composition.

Check the applicable requirements in the CAP Code and relevant Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) guidance for the ad format, and agree who checks the ad before release.

Ask for the licence term and territory. A track cleared for one campaign may not be cleared for a year of evergreen hosting.

Keep a signed asset schedule listing each file, its source and its licence. That is the document you reach for if a claim arrives later.

Agree the approval checklist

Evidence to request and log

Before sign-off, ask the vendor for the relevant documents or written answers. Your request list can include:

Keep an evidence log with fields for the check, request date, document or response received, date received, owner, finding or gap, follow-up action and sign-off. Record the date of each check so you can see what was verified and what still needs resolving.

Common questions

How long should vendor due diligence take?

Allow two to three weeks for a new supplier and a few days for a renewal where nothing has changed. Compress it only if you already hold recent evidence.

What is the biggest red flag?

A refusal to put data handling or make-good terms in writing. Verbal assurances are hard to enforce later.

Do these checks apply to small podcast networks?

Yes. Scale changes the volume of data, not the legal duties. A small network still needs a lawful basis and clear rights to the audio it sells.

Can I rely on the vendor's own compliance statement?

Use it as a starting point, not proof. Ask for the underlying documents, such as the processing agreement or asset schedule, and keep your own dated record.